listen to this articleDan's Pet Care has opened its first cage-free boarding and dog day care center in Glen Cove.
What started as a pet walking service out of his parents' basement 14 years ago is now a 24/7 daycare space for pets, said Daniel Reitman, CEO and founder of the company. That's what it means.
Reitman started his company in 2009 after dropping out of college and working at Manhasset Animal Hospital for several years.
“I was lucky to be able to turn my love for animals into an actual business and not just a job,” he said. “I started doing business with a few clients here and there on the weekends, and before I knew it I was hiring employees and growing my business across the island.”
Currently, the 5,000-square-foot center in Glen Cove has 4,000 square feet allotted for indoor play space and an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor play space. A press release about the new center says it will be staffed 24 hours a day, have a veterinarian on-site and focus on “strict sanitation.” All team members are trained in pet first aid and CPR.
Pets can play regularly at the center. In addition to daycare, the center also offers grooming, training, and other services such as flexible pick-up and drop-off times and pet taxis.
Reitman said the company is digitally focused, has an avid social media following, and currently has 80 employees and more than 3,500 customers. In addition to reopening in Connecticut, he expects to expand services in Nassau and Suffolk counties, as well as Queens, Brooklyn and New Jersey.
“In the long term, we want to develop the app and expand our facilities across the country,” he said.
Dan's Pet Care's expansion comes at a time of growth in the pet care industry. Since the pandemic, the number of pets in the United States has increased by 5 million, according to a 2022 report from Morgan Stanley. Spending on pet services is expected to increase throughout the decade and reach $118 billion by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley.
The company's social media followers have grown to over 700,000 on YouTube, over 100,000 on Facebook, and over 50,000 on Instagram. Engaging online content about pets and their antics has been featured not only on network news, but also on People and The Dodo.
Still, Reitman hasn't forgotten his roots.
“We were in my parents' basement from 2009 to 2016,” Reitman said of the company's early beginnings.
“In 2016, we opened a one-room office in Port Washington. In December 2021, we rented an office in Manhasset, where we have a production studio and multiple office spaces. In the summer of 2020, we moved to Brooklyn. We have also opened an office in ,” he said.
He said the company opened to the public in Glen Cove on Dec. 18.
He said the coronavirus has hit the company hard. That's when people stayed home and didn't have to walk their dogs. Layoffs soon followed.
“After we had to lay off the entire company, we basically had to come up from scratch,” he said.
Now that the company is back in growth mode, Reitman said it continues to focus on safety.
“Safety is, always has been, and always will be our top priority,” he said. “I joined this business because I support what we do to provide peace of mind to pet parents.”
To help dogs and cats in need, the center has installed an 85-inch monitor in the lobby that shows Cove Animal Rescue's adoptable dogs and Gatto puppies, allowing these animals to find new homes. I made it so you can find it.
Until January 31, the center is offering a free year of dog daycare for free. The company also partners with BarkBox, The Farmer's Dog, and other local businesses to offer additional benefits.
These days, Reitman is grateful.
“As a kid, I was a bit of a sucker,” he said. “I was in rehab by the age of 16 and struggled with substance abuse from my late teens to early 20s. I was lucky enough to clean up my act and channel that addiction into this business. I eat, breathe and sleep what we do. Some may say I'm crazy, but I simply feel I've found my calling. Masu.”
